


Curse of the Beast

by AbhorrentSelkie



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Beauty and the Beast Elements, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Explicit Language, Fairy Tale Curses, Harm to Animals, Implied/Referenced Past Suicide Attempt, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Implied/Referenced Suicidal Thoughts, Kidnapping, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:07:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26523415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbhorrentSelkie/pseuds/AbhorrentSelkie
Summary: Once upon a time a young lord lived alone in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the boy was vain, selfish, and unkind. With no family and friends to fill his heart with love, his heart grew cold. When one winter’s night a beautiful woman sought shelter from the wind and cold, the boy brought her into his castle before dragging her away to his chamber. The boy would not take no for an answer. When the woman realized he would not be dissuaded, she revealed herself as a sorceress.The boy tried to apologize, but it was too late for she had seen there was no good left in his heart. She set a curse upon him, transforming the youth into a beast, and placed a spell on the castle and all who lived there. Ashamed, the beast concealed himself inside his castle. A rose he’d given the sorceress bore the magic of the curse laid over him, and for ten years would bloom. If he could learn to love another and earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.Time slipped away like sand in an hourglass, and the boy fell into despair.For who could ever love a beast?
Relationships: Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Sylvain Jose Gautier
Comments: 7
Kudos: 59





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is a little bit classic Disney movie and a little bit Disney remake, with just a dusting of the actual Beauty and the Beast fairy tale sprinkled on top, mixed with a big ol' heaping spoonful of Sylvix. The opening monologue is ripped straight from a combination of the two movies, and just changed to fit the FE fic-ified setting.

Once upon a time, in a far away land, hidden deep in a forest of ancient trees, a young lord lived alone in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the boy was vain, selfish, and unkind. With no family and friends to fill his heart with love, he sought the company of beautiful young men and women, and though his bed was warm, his heart grew colder still.

When one winter’s night a beautiful woman sought shelter from the howling winds and bitter cold, the boy brought her into his castle, treated her to a lavish dinner, and filled her cup with as much wine as she desired. He tucked a single blue rose from his table behind her ear, a sweet, tender gesture... before dragging her away to his chamber. She fought and struggled against him, pleading for him to stop, but the boy would not take no for an answer. When the woman realized he would not be dissuaded, she revealed herself as a powerful sorceress, freezing him in place with her magic.

The boy tried to apologize, but it was too late for she had seen there was no good left in his heart. As punishment, she set a curse upon him, transforming the handsome youth into a terrifying beast, and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there.

Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, shut himself away from the outside world. The rose he’d given the sorceress bore the magic of the curse laid over him, and for ten years would bloom. If he could learn to love another and earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.

Years passed, and the people forgot all about the young lord and the castle and its servants, for the sorceress had erased all memory of them from the minds of the people they loved. Time slipped away like sand in an hourglass, and the boy fell into despair until all hope in his heart withered to nothing.

For who could ever love a beast?

~OoO~

The forest was cloaked in peace as Felix trekked along the familiar, overgrown path back toward the village. The sack he carried slung over one shoulder laden with the day’s hunt jostled with his steps over the uneven terrain, and the weight of his musket in his other hand was a comfort. Late afternoon sunlight broke through the canopy of the trees overhead, warm on his cheeks. Wind rustled through the golden leaves, the promise of the encroaching winter held on its breath.

He quickened his pace; he would have to hurry if he wanted to sell his kill before the shops closed for the evening. He was just in time, making it to the butcher’s shop just as the man was beginning to clean up. The butcher lauded his excellent marksmanship, and Felix tried not to roll his eyes at the familiar and expected praise of ‘second only to Glenn.’

It was true enough. In all the village, there were no hunters quite as skilled as the Fraldarius brothers. Their aim, whether with musket or with bow, was rivaled only by each other. Infuriatingly, Felix never seemed able to get the better of his brother, always just a hair behind the older boy.

The butcher paid him for his kill – save a nice, plump rabbit that Felix kept for his own dinner – and the boy was on his way. A few people still milled around in the street as the shops closed, chatting and finishing up last minute errands before they would return home or head to the tavern for drinks. Some waved politely at Felix, earning only curt nods in response. A few of the pretty girls giggled behind their hands as he passed, and he ignored them as always. If Glenn were with him, he would stop and flirt and make the girls blush. Felix had no interest in such things.

Their house, which stood on the outskirts of town, was sturdy and quaint, if small. With just Felix, Glenn, and their father, there was little need for much space. As it was, for the entirety of the past week, Felix had been on his own. His father, a physician, had been summoned to a larger town to help with the outbreak of a sickness that had been spreading; and Glenn had joined some other men on a hunt in a nearby hamlet to deal with a pack of wolves that had been terrorizing their livestock. Even their two hunting dogs were gone: Aegis with their father and Moralta with Glenn.

Felix didn’t so much mind being alone.

He set to work cleaning his kill, preparing to roast the rabbit on a spit over the fireplace. The empty house was filled with the warm smell of cooking meat, homey and comforting. He also cooked some potatoes over the fire. When it was finished, he ate his fill and settled in for another quiet evening, meticulously cleaning his musket by the light of the fire.

It was just after dusk when a scraping at the door caught his attention. Felix fell still, glancing over at the door, listening. Between the scratches at the wood, he could hear a soft whimper… an animal of some sort? There were some strays in the village, but none had ever come to scratch at their door before.

Hesitant, Felix took his musket in hand and crossed to the door slowly, quiet as a mouse. Holding his musket firmly, ready to fire in an instant if need be, Felix yanked the door open.

With a piteous whine, Aegis bounded at his ankles, his tail tucked between his legs. Felix dropped to his knees, petting the dog to calm it. Aegis didn’t scare easily, but something certainly had him frightened. He was dirty and tired, and he trembled like a leaf.

Felix coaxed the usually-haughty Spaniel to relax by the fire, fed him scraps left over from his dinner to bring him his strength back. He smoothed down the dogs matted coat. Concern gnawed in Felix’s stomach; Aegis was there, but where was his father? He wouldn’t have left the dog alone, and Aegis wouldn’t have left his side unless something had happened.

Felix made up his mind, throwing a thick cloak over his shoulders and taking up his musket once more. Hastily, he scrawled a note on a leaf of paper on the off chance Glenn might return before him before dousing the fire and calling Aegis to follow him outside.

Marron was an old work horse who didn’t do much anymore besides graze, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Felix wasted no time saddling the old boy up and mounting him. “Aegis, take me to Father.”

Aegis was a good hunting dog, smart and energetic, and though he hadn’t had much time to rest, he obliged to Felix’s orders dutifully. With Aegis leading the way, Felix set out into the forest, heedless of the dark. The moon was full overhead, and moonlight dappled through the black canopy. Marron did his best to keep up with Aegis.

Felix had never been so deep in the forest, he realized as Aegis took them along a winding path through ancient, gnarled trees – decayed, leafless things, all of them. It was silent but the for the clop of hooves on the hard, frozen ground, the rustle of dead underbrush in the biting wind, and the distant hooting of owls. The sky was clear overhead, the moon a cold silver disk that cast pale light and long, spectral shadows that jumped and danced. The deeper they went, the colder the air around them grew until it felt almost suffocating. He wrapped his cloak even tighter around his shoulders, teeth chattering against the cold, so cold he could see his breath. Ahead of him, he could see the breath curling from Marron’s snout, too, the delicate tendrils reaching like ghostly fingers ready to grab him and spirit him away into the night.

Felix pushed the ridiculous notion out of his mind. There was no such thing as ghosts or monsters or things that go bump in the night. Although, he allowed as a howl cut through the near silence of the dead forest, being eaten by wolves was a very real possibility.

Just as Felix thought the air could get no colder, that he might simply freeze to Marron’s saddle and die of the cold, the twisted and warped trees ended abruptly and a massive castle rose up out of thin air, tall and imposing, dark and haunting, a black silhouette against the midnight sky. Its towers reached like claws ready to rip and tear, and no light burned from its windows.

Aegis led them across what had once likely been a grand stone bridge, its walled edges long crumbling into the ravine it spanned, a dark river churning far below. The massive black iron gate stood ajar, open wide enough that Felix was able to guide Marron in without stopping to pull it open.

It seemed like the courtyard beyond once would have been a sight to behold, with an ornate fountain in the middle, topiaries now long-withered, and elegant marble statues that were beginning to crumble. The cobblestone was covered with frost, and a light fog hung low to the ground; it swirled around Marron’s legs and nearly swallowed Aegis up entirely.

Stark in contrast to the cold, dead, and decayed atmosphere around him, Felix noted that there was, in fact, something alive in all of the barren growth. Hedges lined the path, their leaves still green and well-groomed despite the cold. From them, bloomed the most peculiar flowers Felix had ever seen. They were roses, he realized, but unlike any rose he had ever seen, for instead of red, they were deep blue. And they glowed with an ethereal light, like something right out of a storybook.

Aegis yapped sharply, drawing Felix’s attention away from the luminous roses. He stood at the top step of the castle’s grand entrance, waiting patiently for his master. Felix dismount Marron quickly, tying his reins to the sturdy-looking trunk of a long-dead topiary. With his musket tight in his hand, Felix joined Aegis and pushed his way through the massive door.

The air inside was still frigid, but there was no wind or fog to chill him further. He walked slowly, not sure what to make of the place. It was large and opulent, with fine rugs and tapestries, expertly made sconces, and intricate paintings. Empty suits of armor stood at attention in small alcoves along the halls and as Felix passed them, he couldn’t help the way the hair on the back of his neck stood on end, as if the dark void of their helmets were watching him.

Aegis sniffed the air, dutifully leading Felix deeper into the palace. He scarcely dared to breathe, wondering each time he rounded a corner if he would come face-to-face with a suit of armor that was decidedly _not_ empty, or a servant who would shriek in fear and alert an aforementioned occupied suit of armor. But he passed no one. Perhaps the place was deserted; it would certainly account for the coat of dust that clung to every surface, and the delicate cobwebs that spanned the arched ceilings above.

But the more Felix walked, the more he got the feeling the castle was not deserted at all.

Aegis brought Felix to the top of a stone staircase that spiraled down into the darkness. Even from the top, Felix could feel the merciless cold emanating from below. Aegis stared down into the depth, whining low in his throat. He was shaking once more, his tail tucked down in fear. Felix’s father must have been below, he realized.

“Stay here, boy,” Felix told him softly. “I’ll be back soon.” Aegis paced for a moment, spinning in a circle before sitting at attention on the stone.

Drawing a steadying breath and gripping his musket tight, Felix started down the staircase. It didn’t take long before cold seeped into his bones and all light was entirely snuffed out. He wished he’d found a candle or something…

No sooner than he thought it did a sudden light flare to life beside him. He cursed, nearly falling back in shock. A candelabra sat in a niche in the wall, dusty and cobwebbed like everything else in the castle, its three now-burning candles casting dim light that cut through the oppressive darkness. After a moment’s hesitation, Felix reached to grab it.

Just as suddenly as the candles had lit themselves, the candelabra lifted itself out of the niche as if plucked up by someone unseen. It began descending down the stairs, bobbing lightly in the air like it was being carried. Swallowing hard, Felix followed after.

The stairs seemed to spiral down endlessly, growing colder and colder the farther they went. Finally, mercifully, the haunted candelabra reached the bottom. Just as Felix’s feet hit the bottom of the stairs, torches around the room sprang to life, filling the room with faint warmth and low light.

The room was small, lined with several doors with barred windows set into the thick, chipping wood. A soft groan and a scuffle from the closest door drew Felix’s attention, and he approached hesitantly, peering through the bars.

He could just make out the shadow of a figure in the cramped room beyond. The door was locked, the heavy knob almost freezing to the touch. Irritated, Felix beckoned the floating candelabra to him. It glided over slowly, and he moved the side just enough for its candles to cast light into the cell.

His father was huddled up in the corner on a pile of rotted straw, covered by a thin, holey blanket, shivering violently. “Father,” Felix called, pounding on the door. It was thick, sturdy wood; there’s no way he’d be able to bust it down.

His father’s head lifted slowly, eyes blinking for a moment at the sudden light. “Felix?” he muttered. The man scrabbled to his feet with laborious effort, huffing and panting the whole way while Felix watched on, helpless. After a long moment, he managed to drag himself over to the door, reaching through the door to stroke Felix’s cheeks and hair. His fingers were like ice. “Oh, son. What are you doing here?”

“Aegis returned home without you,” he explained, grabbing the man’s hands and attempting to warm them in his own. “He led me here. Just hold on, I’ll get you out.”

“No,” the man argued, shaking his head fervently. “No, leave me. You must get away before it’s too late.”

Felix’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?” he huffed, already beginning to look around the room for a key or something he could use to force the door open. “I’m not going to-”

“No, Felix,” he insisted, grabbing tight to Felix’s cloak and drawing him back to face him. “There’s no time for that. There’s a terrible monster in this castle. He locked me in here when I entered seeking shelter from the cold. If he catches you, he’ll do the same to you. You have to leave before he finds you.”

“Father-” The man was rambling, speaking utter nonsense due, Felix was sure, to his condition. He wondered how long he’d been trapped there – he’d been gone a week after all – so long in the dark and freezing cold that he’s started seeing his captor as a literal monster rather than a figurative one.

“I’m an old man, Felix,” he sighed, though he wasn’t really all that old, “I’ve lived my life. Leave this place, go home to Glenn.”

Felix shook his head slowly. He couldn’t just leave his father there to die. “No, I’ll find some way-”

“Will you now?” a low, dangerous voice wondered from behind. His father’s eyes grew wide with terror, and Felix spun around, musket at the ready. He hadn’t heard any footsteps and cursed himself for not paying better attention to his surroundings. “Do tell.”

Felix wasn’t prepared for the sight of the thing that stood behind him.

The beast had to have been eight feet tall, easily. His skin was rough and gray, his brow ridged with hard scales. Devilish horns curled away from a mane of wild, fiery hair. He had massive hands, the fingers ended in wicked claws. Sharp, animal-like tusks jutted from his lower lip, and he regarded Felix with a sneer, made even more sinister by cold, hungry eyes that seemed to glow like rubies in the torchlight. No… Like blood.

For the first time in his life, Felix was too frozen to take a shot, the horrible visage of the beast completely transfixing him. Felix didn’t get scared, not easily. But as the beast stalked forward, Felix felt his heart pound furiously in his chest, only vaguely aware of the way his father’s hand scrabbled at his shoulders – whether to pull Felix closer or push him away, the boy wasn’t sure.

Before Felix realized what was happening, his musket was being pulled from his cold-numbed fingers and tossed carelessly away, far out of reach. The beast loomed over him, and a single clawed finger ran a hot trail down his cheek. It would have almost been tender, if not for the threat of pain and death that it brought. Such a simple matter it would have been for such a beast to claw his throat out and be done with him.

“Aren’t you a pretty one,” it cooed, its breath hot on Felix’s icy skin. To his surprise, it didn’t reek of blood and flesh, but was fresh and clean, like mint. “Maybe I’ll have some fun with you…” Its finger toyed with a stand of dark hair that had fallen free of the ponytail Felix had pulled it up in when he woke up that morning.

Though his mouth was dry and he knew nothing but cold dread, Felix managed to find his voice. “Let my father go,” he demanded. The beast cocked its head to the side, the edges of its lips curling up in amusement.

“Felix, no,” his father moaned behind him, “you need to get away.”

“Let him go,” Felix repeated as if his father hadn’t spoken, trying very hard to keep the tremble out of his voice, “and take me instead. I’ll… I’ll do what you want, and I won’t fight you. Just let him go.”

“Oh?” the beast mused. “Whatever I want?” His insides working themselves into knots, Felix nodded stiffly. “Even if I want to… oh, I don’t know… eat you?” Another nod. “Or skin you alive?” Another nod, though perhaps just a hair more hesitant as mental images of that assailed him. “Hmm. Tempting.”

“Please,” his father begged, “Felix, leave me.”

Felix met the beasts blood-red eyes evenly as he could. “Do we have a deal?”

The beast considered it for a moment. “Alright.” It held out it’s large hand and Felix shook it hesitantly. It was hot to the touch, almost scorchingly so, and the tips of his claws dug ever so slightly into his soft flesh, enough to sting but not quite breaking the skin.

Felix expected to be locked in the cell in his father’s place, forced to endure the bone-deep cold and pitch blackness of the beast’s dungeon. He didn’t expect the monster to cup his cheeks softly between rough, calloused palms, the heat burning on his numb cheeks. He didn’t expect it to appraise him with a soft… well, whatever passed for a smile on the creature’s grotesque maw.

He didn’t expect it to slam his head hard against the metal bars set into the cell door, pain blooming white-hot through his head, his eyes feeling as though they were rattling in his skull as darkness crept at the edges of his vision, his knees buckling under him. The beast’s strong grasp released him, and he crumpled to the stone floor. The last thing he knew before the black void of unconsciousness swallowed him was the sound of his father shrieking his name and a low, cruel chuckle.

~OoO~

When Felix woke again, a splitting headache sending dull waves of pain through him as he slowly came back to consciousness, the first thing he noticed (pain notwithstanding) was that he was no longer cold. In fact, he found he was pleasantly warm, swathed in thick, soft blankets. After a moment, he noticed the sound of a fire cracking in the fireplace and the familiar weight of Aegis at his feet.

With a soft sigh, he let himself relax into the cushy pillow under his head. It was just a dream then, after all, just some horrible nightmare. His father had returned home with Aegis, and he must have hit his head somehow, and the old man had carried him to his bed and let him sleep. The images of the terrifying beast had simply been conjured up in his injured brain.

Everything was fine.

He didn’t open his eyes at the sound of the bedroom door opening and shutting softly, the light footsteps across the floor, or the sound of the window curtain being drawn back. Early morning sunlight danced across his eyelids, and he was vaguely aware of a chair being pulled over to his bedside, the weight of his father sinking down into it.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” a dark voice purred, and Felix’s heart froze in his chest as he realized it most certainly didn’t belong to his father. “I know you’re awake.”

Slowly, very, _very_ slowly, Felix peeled his eyes open, turning his head ever so slightly toward the source of the gravely voice. His breath caught in his lungs as he realized it was the horrible beast he’d seen before, not a nightmare, but a real, living thing that had surely been ripped from the bowels of hell itself. It smirked down at him – as well as the thing could smirk around the shiny white tusks that jutted from its lip – its head cocked the side as it studied him curiously.

It looked just the same, just as horrible as Felix remembered.

Well, almost. Where its eyes had shone bright crimson, like pools of fresh blood, they seemed much less terrible in the light of day; a deeper, richer red, almost brown perhaps.

“I suppose this is the part where you eat me, right?” Felix managed to snort, voice thick with disdain and sounding much more sure than his fluttering heart might otherwise suggest. “Or skin me alive, or whatever other foul thing you intend to do.”

The beast blinked, apparently caught off guard before barking out a laugh. “I did say that, didn’t I?” it mused, ruffling its hair with a clawed hand. “Sorry about that. I didn’t really mean it.” Felix arched an eyebrow, not sure he was buying the beast’s light, easy tone. “Honest, I was just trying to scare you.”

“Really?” Felix huffed, unconvinced.

It nodded earnestly. “Really. I… uh, don’t care much for visitors.” Felix just stared at it blankly. Where the night before, it had loomed like some demonic presence, its voice low and dangerous, there was surprising levity in its tone as it spoke this time. “Are you hungry?”

“I… Yeah, I guess.” As if on cue, the door opened once more, and a cart that came accompanied with the scent of delicious breakfast foods rolled itself in. Much like the candelabra before, there wasn’t a soul to be seen, and Felix couldn’t shake the notion that he’d somehow wandered into a haunted castle, as ridiculous as that was.

He managed to heave himself upright, ignoring the throbbing of his head, and a tray glided slowly from the cart and landed on his lap. A cloche was pulled from over the plate of food, revealing a wonderful looking breakfast of eggs, ham, buttered toast that he suspected was freshly baked, and an assortment of fresh fruit (where it came from when everything beyond the castle was dead and snow-covered, Felix was unsure). Aegis, who Felix was very late in remembering his presence, perked up, his little black nose twitching as he sniffed the air.

“Well,” the beast prompted, “dig in.” Felix picked up the fork that laid next to the plate and did just that. It was cooked to perfection, and Felix was content to forget about the beast for even just a moment and focus on filling his stomach. When he’d eaten his fill, he laid the plate down on the bed and let Aegis finish what remained. “What did you you think?”

“It’s good,” he admitted, perhaps a little begrudgingly, keeping his focus on the dog who chewed happily on a bit of ham. After a long moment, he turned to regard the beast, arms crossed. “What did you do with my father?”

“I made sure he made it home safely,” it assured, though Felix had no inclination to believe the thing. “The dog refused to leave your side, though, and I didn’t see the harm in letting him stay.” Aegis lifted his head as if he knew he was being talked about, his tongue lolling out happily as he regarded the beast. He didn’t seem particularly scared, didn’t growl or bare his teeth, just laid contentedly at Felix’s feet. Felix wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“So, if you’re not going to kill me or whatever, what _are_ you going to do with me?” he asked warily. A memory from the night before came unbidden; the beast leering down at him, trailing a clawed finger down his cheek, close enough Felix could feel his hot breath on his frigid cheeks. _Aren’t you a pretty one. Maybe I’ll have some fun with you…_ Felix barely suppressed a shudder down his spine at the thought with the phantom of the beast’s touch on his skin, the slight sting as it tugged lightly on a loose strand of his hair.

He felt his cheeks heat and scowled down at the blanket, hoping the best didn’t see.

The beast’s eyes were distant as it considered the question, it’s lips turned down in a pensive frown. “I’ll let you know when I figure that out,” it decided a moment later, its usual smirk spreading to replace the small frown. “But, for the time being, I want you to be comfortable here. This will be your room. Do you like it?”

Felix stared blankly, still wary of the beast’s abrupt shift in attitude from the night before. “It’s fine.”

“Good.” It stood, the chair nearly toppling back from the sheer bulk of the thing. “If you feel alright to walk, allow me to show you around.”

Slowly, Felix climbed out from under the warm sheets. His feet sank into plush carpet as he swung his legs over the edge of the massive bed, and he found his worn hunting boots sat neatly by the night stand, ready for him to pull them on once more. He did so, and stood, Aegis bounding after him as the beast led him out into the hall.

In the light of the day, it was a far cry less gloomy and terrifying than it had been the night before. Where before there was nothing but long shadows, oppressive cold, and endless threads of cobweb spun from every available surface, as the beast led Felix through the magnificent halls, everything seemed to gleam as if it had been scrubbed top to bottom in the night. Felix found he was unsurprised to see feather dusters and cleaning rags floating lazily through the air, just like the candelabra had.

“Is this place haunted?” he couldn’t help but ask, even though he didn’t believe in ghosts. Though, he hadn’t believed in demonic monsters either, but he could no longer deny the one that walked ahead of him.

The beast chuckled. “I suppose that’s one word for it.” As if that made things any more clear. “They’re not ghosts… or, at least, I don’t think they are. Well, it’s kind of hard to explain.” A hard explanation that he apparently didn’t feel like delving into, as said nothing more on the matter.

The beast led him through a maze of corridors that nearly made Felix’s head spin, pointing out things like the dining room and the kitchen and the washrooms. They passed by an elegant marble staircase, and the beast fell silent, not heading up nor explaining what they led to. “What’s up there?” Felix wondered.

The beast’s shoulders stiffened. “That’s the west wing,” it said, it’s voice tight. “I will ask that you not go up there. You can have free reign over the rest of the palace, just stay out of the west wing.”

“Why?”

It huffed in irritation. “Because I said so.”

Felix’s eyes narrowed, and he cast a glance up to the balcony that hung overhead, barely able to get a glimpse of what laid above. There was clearly something up there that the monster didn’t want Felix to find, something it was hiding. And being forbidden from it just made Felix want to see it more.

The beast continued its tour, and Felix followed along dutifully. All the while, however, his mind wandered back to forbidden west wing. If he was going to find some way to escape, he was sure the west wing would be the place to start looking. He just had to figure out when he could sneak up without the beast knowing. The last thing he wanted to do was incur its wrath before attempting his escape, after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: There is a brief line near the end where someone alludes to having attempted suicide in the past. If this is a problem, skip the paragraph after the sentence: "Felix tried to drop the knife, but the beast’s grasp around his fingers was too tight, keeping it firmly in place."
> 
> You won't lose any context without that paragraph.

One week.

Felix bid his time for one week, watching the beast carefully and learning all he could about the massive palace he found himself prisoner inside. Outwardly, the beast seemed to bear him no ill will, chatting openly with Felix as though they were old friends, but Felix refused to be fooled by the act. He played nice, though, taking caution to never seem overly hostile or suspicious, as though he was letting his guard down.

The palace itself was magnificent, and Felix spent a lot of time wandering through the halls with Aegis at his heels, committing to memory the sprawling layout in case he needed to run at a moment’s notice. It truly did seem to have been cleaned top to bottom in the night he was knocked out, all the thick blankets of dust completely gone. Before, where there had been nothing but cold and darkness, Felix found himself surrounded by warmth and light. Every candle was lit, every fireplace well-stoked and roaring to stave off the chill of winter beyond the thick stone walls.

Felix especially became well-acquainted with his new room. Most of his family’s entire home would have fit inside the single room, and Felix simply wasn’t accustomed to the grandeur of it. The window that encompassed most of the exterior wall overlooked the snow-covered courtyard he’d passed through when he arrived at the palace, as well as the dead forest beyond. Thick, plush curtains of faded red velvet hung before the window, and when they were drawn shut, not the faintest bit of sunlight could pass through.

The bed was massive, so much space for just one person, covered in old, but well-tended sheets that were soft and warm. Aegis was quick to make himself at home on the bed when they turned in for the night. There was a small bookshelf with a handful of yellowed books, a writing desk well-stocked with paper, quills, and ink, and an elegant wardrobe that was full to the brim. The clothes inside were fine, elegant garments, each piece likely far more expensive than all the clothing Felix owned. The outfits were, oddly, about a decade out of style, but they were clean, if perhaps a bit moth-eaten in places.

Felix was sprawled out on the bed, dusky light filtering in through the window, idly flipping through a book about geography that had little actual interest in when a knock on the door demanded his attention. It was slow, muted, and Felix had come to learn that it was the knock of one of the spectral servants that wandered like ghosts through the palace, carrying out their duties unseen and unheard.

Aegis’ ears perked up as Felix tossed his book aside and stood to answer the knock. Of course, there was no one to be seen on the other side, just a note sitting tented on the floor at his feet. The cardstock was thick and expensive, yellowed with age like the books Felix had found. The cursive writing that adorned it was elegant and curly, the ink still fresh and glossy in the firelight.

 _Felix,_ it said on the outside, as if it might have possibly been addressed to anyone else, as if there was any other living, corporeal beings in the palace (Aegis aside, who obviously wouldn’t be getting a note, as he was a dog). _I would be honored if you would grant me your company for dinner this evening._

It was phrased like a request, a very polite one, but Felix had up to that point been unwilling to deny the beast’s requests. What if it flew into a rage at his refusal and decided it was done with its friendly act? What if it finally decided to kill him, or eat him, or skin him alive like it had threatened mere days before? Or – possibly worse? – what if it decided it would rather _have some fun_ with him? The thought sent a chill down his spine and, irritatingly, a flush to his cheeks.

With a sigh, Felix cast the note into the fire. Dinner would be served soon, and Felix didn’t dare be late. He pulled open the wardrobe and studied the outfits available to him blankly for a moment. Felix had never had so many clothes in his life, and the options were a bit overwhelming, to be honest. He was used to simple things; plain shirts and comfortable trousers and worn doublets. None of the fancy finery that stood before him. He considered going in the clothes he’d had on when he arrived, as he tended to wear when he could as they were familiar and comforting, but the last time he’d dined with the beast, it had made a joke (or, at least, it sounded like a joke) about him wearing something a little _prettier_ next time, and as Felix _was_ trying to keep the beast from suspecting his intentions, he decided to humor it.

In the end, Felix picked what looked like the most simple outfit of soft brown trousers, a white shirt, a waistcoat, and the matching jacket. The fine cloth was a royal blue color and seemed to flow through his fingers. He dressed slowly, dragging his feet a little. In the end, despite the nice clothing, he wore his calf-high boots rather than one of the fancy pairs of black shoes that looked like they would pinch and be irritating to walk in. Almost as an afterthought, Felix quickly worked his hair into a knot at the top of his head before calling for Aegis and heading to dine with the beast.

While Felix had come across a fine dining hall fit for royalty during his wanderings, the beast preferred to dine in a small, comfortable parlor. A table of dark wood was set for two, the beast already lounging in one of the high-backed chairs when Felix stepped in. The beast stood, playing the part of a gentleman and rounding the table to pull Felix’s chair out for him. Felix avoided making eye contact as he sat, letting the beast push the chair back in with ease before returning to his own seat.

It was silent for a time, eyes appraising and glimmering in the warm firelight. “You look lovely.”

Felix scowled at the table, hoping that the beast couldn’t see the flush coloring his cheeks. “Thanks,” he bit out.

“Really,” it insisted, no trace of mockery in its voice. “That color suits you nicely.” Felix was spared from speaking by the opening of the door, a serving cart wheeling itself in. Plates were pulled from under two gleaming cloches and they drifted slowly down in front of each of them.

Felix’s mouth watered as he set his eyes on the prime cut of steak in front of him, juicy and perfectly cooked, served with a fresh salad and a smattering of seasoned root vegetables. He wasted no time digging in. If there was one benefit to being prisoner in the beast’s palace, it was the food. He’d never eaten so well in his life. Everything was rich and delicious. With his new lack of physical activity, Felix could imagine finding himself no longer quite able to fit into his clothes given enough time. But then he would remember where he was and who he was with and how his father had been treated before him, and the food lost some of its luster.

The beast kept up a stream if idle chatter while they ate, seemingly undeterred by Felix’s vague, mostly monosyllabic responses. Eventually, Felix found himself full to bursting, setting his plate down for Aegis to happily snap up the scraps. After some meals, Felix would be able to take his leave immediately, the beast wishing him well before they parted ways.

No such luck on that night, it seemed, as the beast stood and pulled Felix’s chair out once more, gesturing him to the plush chairs that sat in front of the fireplace. Felix followed with a silent sigh. It was warm and comfortable in front of the fire, and unseen servants poured them steaming cups of tea. Felix was surprised as he took his first sip; it was pine tea, just as he’d offhandedly remarked that he preferred the last time the beast had insisted on tea.

Aegis curled up at the beast’s feet, the traitor. It had taken the dog very little time to warm up to the beast, leaving Felix to question the theory of whether dogs were actually as good judges of character as people liked to believe. The beast looked down fondly Aegis, bending to pat his head for a moment before relaxing into his chair.

“I was thinking,” the beast said after a moment of silence. “You mentioned you’ve not had the chance to read many books, and that you’re not particularly… skilled at it.” Felix scowled at his tea. Who had the time to sit around reading all day? He had chores to do, and money was better spent on food than books. “I thought, perhaps you might like it if I read you some of my favorites.”

“Do what you want,” Felix huffed.

The beast pulled a book off the side table, clearly having already given the matter a lot of thought. “I think you’ll enjoy this one,” it mused. “It’s quite thrilling.” Felix glanced over at the book, just making out the title on the spine, _The Castle of Otranto,_ before the beast opened it, careful of its wicked claws, and began reading.

Felix only half listened. The beast read fluidly, his voice low and smooth, not stuttering over his words the way Felix tended to when he had cause to read aloud more than a few sentences in a row. His father had tried his best to teach Felix to read better, and while he wasn’t necessarily bad at it, there were simply other things he would rather be doing.

On and on the beast read, until Felix began to notice the way his voice dropped to a mutter at times, or how he stifled a yawn here and there. He chanced a glance over to see the beast with his chin propped up with his hand, eyelids drooping. Felix stayed as still and silent as he could, not wanting to disturb the beast while it seemed to be falling asleep.

“Fortifying herself with these reflections,” it read slowly, “and believing by what she could observe… observe that she was near the mouth… near the mouth of the sub… subterraneous cavern…” A soft snore is all that came out after that, its eyes finally falling shut completely.

Felix gave it a moment, waiting to see if it would stir or wake, but it seemed to be fast asleep. His heart beat rapidly in his chest. It was the moment he’d been waiting for, a chance to take a look in the forbidden west wing. He stood slowly as he could, and Aegis’ ears perked, his head cocked to the side as he watched Felix slink around the chair. Felix gestured for the dog to follow, and he did so obediently.

As Felix tip-toed toward the door, a gleam of silver in the firelight caught his eye. The invisible servants hadn’t cleaned up from dinner, and their cutlery still sat on the table, including the knives used for cutting their steak. Felix hesitated just a moment before grabbing the knife and continuing out the door.

He walked quickly as he dared, Aegis on his heels, not wanting to arouse suspicion. He wasn’t sure if the unseen servants had some form of communication with the beast or not, or if they were always silently watching no matter where one was; he desperately hoped none of them would warn the beast of Felix’s rule-breaking if they were able.

While the castle was clean and warm, there was something foreboding about the west wing that sent a shiver down Felix’s spine as he stopped in front of the stair case. He glanced down at Aegis, the dog whining softly with his tail tucked between his legs. “Stay here, boy.”

Felix climbed the stairs slowly, feeling like the warmth was being sapped from the air with each step. It was quite dark at the top, and cold – though not as cold as the castle had been when Felix first arrived. Unlike everywhere else, thick dust still blanketed every surface, and delicate cobwebs still spanned the arched ceilings overhead.

Felix followed the long hallway with his knife squeezed tight in his fist. Nothing moved, no sconces or feather dusters or laundry baskets that betrayed the presence of a spectral servant who might run and tattle on Felix. It didn’t reassure him much, though.

As Felix walked, he noted a progression of portraits. A fiery haired man and a blonde woman stood in the first. Next, the same couple stood with a young boy with his father’s hair. The third had two red-headed boys, though the mother was absent. Then it was the same group of three, all much older; the boys were grown and the father’s hair was graying. None of them looked particularly happy. The older boy was imposing, his face hard, with a strong jawline. The younger had more slender, delicate features, boyishly handsome. In the next portrait, the older boy was gone, leaving just the father and the younger son.

And in the last portrait, the younger boy stood alone. The canvass was torn in places, Felix noted, as if someone had took a knife to it, right over the handsome young man’s face.

A glimmer of blue caught Felix’s attention out of the corner of his eye, and he momentarily forgot about the portraits. The passage ended in a small circular chamber with a balcony that stood on the other side of grimy glass doors. In the center of the room was a small table that held the source of the blue glimmer.

Under a glass lid was a single one of the blue roses in a small vase. The flower wilted sadly to one side, like a person with its head hung in dismay. Most of its petals had fallen to the table already, shriveled and no longer glowing. Only one stubbornly clung to the stem, its glow a weak flicker.

Is that what the beast was trying to protect? There was nothing else of significance in the room that Felix could see, and he’d passed no doors on the way there. Felix didn’t see what point there was keeping a single dying rose in a vase under a glass dome when there were literally hundreds of them right outside the castle door.

With a sigh, Felix turned back toward the portrait, much more interested in that than a dead flower. There was something familiar about it, though he was sure he’d never seen the portrait nor the person depicted before. He stepped closer, studying it intently. Those brown eyes and that red hair…

Red… like the beast’s wild mane-

A hand wrapped around Felix’s throat, and he jumped, nearly dropping the knife in his hand. He could feel the heat of the beast as it loomed behind him, and he wondered once more how it was able to move so silently despite its hulking size. He also wondered if it could feel the way his pulse raced under its fingertips.

“I thought I told you the west wing was forbidden,” it growled, no longer the light, playful tone it had been using over the past week.

Felix swallowed hard, feeling the way his throat strained against the beast’s hand. He didn’t try and pull away, he didn’t try and run. All he could do was stare at the tattered face of the portrait in front of him. “You did.”

“So what are you doing here?”

“I was curious,” he admitted, trying very hard no to let his fear show through his voice. He wasn’t too sure it was working.

The beast’s hand tightened, the tips of its claws digging into his skin and drawing pinpricks of blood that ran hot and sticky down Felix’s throat. When it spoke again, its mouth was against Felix’s ear, breath hot enough to send a shiver down his spine. “Curiosity killed the cat.”

“Satisfaction brought it back,” Felix managed, hating the way he sounded breathless.

“Is that so?” it mused, seeming to consider that. “Tell me, are you satisfied then, _kitten_?”

Felix didn’t answer immediately. “This is you, isn’t it?” he asked, nodding as well as he could toward the portrait. “Your family, and you.” It didn’t answer. “You used to be human.”

“I did.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” it spat. The hand released Felix’s neck, and he drew in a deep, shuddering breath. He wasn’t free, however, as it pressed against Felix’s chest, right over his heart, trapping Felix in the cage of its arms. Its free hand trailed down Felix’s arm, almost tenderly until it reached the hand that was still clenched around the steak knife Felix hadn’t dared try to use against the beast. It curled its fingers tightly around his own, almost painfully.

The knife glinted in the moonlight as the beast held it up in front of Felix’s face. “Do you really think a piddly little knife like this is going to hurt me?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted, flinching back as the beast drew the point of the knife closer and closer to Felix’s face. It didn’t stop until Felix was flush against its chest and the knife was hovering dangerously close to one of Felix’s wide, unblinking eyes. Felix tried to drop the knife, but the beast’s grasp around his fingers was too tight, keeping it firmly in place.

“Trust me, if it could, I’d be long dead,” it said in a biting, humorless laugh. The implication made Felix’s stomach churn uneasily. “My skin’s too thick for that. You, on the other hand…” The knife drifted lower, the tip ghosting over the delicate skin of Felix’s throat. “I don’t think you’d be so lucky.”

“If you’re going to kill me, just do it.”

The beast paused, and Felix could practically hear his heart hammering in his ears. Then, the beast released his hand and the knife clattered to the floor. “There’s no need to be melodramatic,” it laughed. “I think my little cat’s learned a lesson about curiosity, don’t you?” Swallowing down the lump in his throat, Felix managed a single, brisk nod. “You should go get some rest, you seem tired. If you’d be so kind, I’d love for you to join me for dinner again tomorrow, and I’d hate for you to be groggy.”

“Of course,” he managed.

Very suddenly the heat that was encompassing Felix disappeared, and he was free from the beast’s grasp. “Good night, _kitten_.”

Felix bolted back toward the stairs.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: there's some animals getting hurt in this chapter, including Felix's dog Aegis. See the ending notes for more specific details if you're sensitive to reading about that.

Felix was too terrified to sleep that night, laying stark awake over the covers of his luxurious bed, listening intently for the creak of his door opening. Would the beast reconsider its decision to let Felix go unpunished for his transgression? Would it come and finally kill him, tear him apart, torture him…?

His mind kept flashing back to the feel of its breath against his skin, of its hand pressed over his chest, strong arms around his chest, the gleam of the knife in the moonlight beautiful and dangerous and equal measure… the rough drag of its voice when it had called him _kitten_. Felix tossed uneasily, scowling in the darkness as he wondered what the hell was wrong with him when the thought of it made his face burn.

He eventually drifted away into a fitful sleep with a cacophony of jumbled dreams. The faces of his father and his brother, who he wondered if he would ever see again; hunting with his musket in hand and Aegis at his heels; the dead forest blanketed in a pale, cold mist that concealed spectral hands reaching toward him; a floating candelabra that made a pair of crimson eyes shine like rubies; and a dying blue rose, its ethereal glow softly flickering closer to death.

The room was still cast in darkness when he woke, the moon hanging low in the sky as dawn slowly trudged nearer. He stared blankly up at the ceiling, one certainty weighing heavily on his mind; he had to escape. Or die trying.

Changing back into his own clothes quickly, Felix called for Aegis to follow him as he slipped out of the room. His every nerve was alight, hyper-aware of the way his footfalls echoed loudly in the vast halls. He strained his ears for any sound that might announce the beast’s presence.

There were none, and he made it to the front hall. In front of the vast double doors, two empty suits of armor stood at attention, spears crossed, blocking the exit. They definitely hadn’t been like that during the day, and a chill went down his spine as he realized his paranoia the first time he’d laid eyes on them might not have been entirely unfounded.

Cautious, he edged forward. They didn’t move. He chanced another step, reaching out to push the door open. With a mighty groan, it inched open enough for him to slip out. As he moved to duck under the crossed spears, they shifted with a _shink_ of steel-on-steel, blocking his way.

“Come on,” he huffed. Freedom was just a step away, guarded by the gleaming point of a polished silver spear. He wondered if they would actually attack if he tried to push through them, or if they were more for show. It wasn’t a question he wanted to answer by testing it. “Please, let me pass.”

They didn’t move, and Felix groaned. “Go tell that beast I’ve escaped for all I care, just let me through.” Nothing. “What can it possibly do to you? You’re basically ghosts. It’s not like it can kill you, or… fire you.” With a frustrated grunt, he banged his fist against the chest plate of one of the suits, the sound ringing out like a gong through the spacious entrance hall. “I just want to get back to my family.”

Slowly, with a low groan of aged metal, the spears straightened. Felix blinked, unsure if it was some sort of trick, or if he’d somehow managed to appeal to the empathy of whatever incorporeal force possessed the armor. “Thank you.”

With Aegis on his heels, Felix slipped out into the frigid night air. The door closed behind him of its own accord. It looked exactly as it had the night he arrived, everything dead save the strangely glowing roses, everything shrouded in a blanket of frost and mist. He headed toward the small stable that he’d noticed through the windows over the past week. He’d been amazed, then, to see Marron trotting through a snow-covered corral, covered in a thick, plush blanket to keep warm, food and water put out for him.

The stable was still and silent, and Marron was its only (living?) occupant, asleep in one of the stalls. Nothing stopped Felix from waking him and hastily saddling up. He huffed as he let Felix work, grouchy after being woken at such an hour.

With no further obstacles in his path, Felix mounted Marron and urged him through the mostly dead garden and down the crumbling bridge into the spectral forest. As he had before, Aegis led their way through twisting paths, the eerie, twisted trees seeming to grab for Felix as he rode past, brittle, bone-white branches snagging against his cloak.

The silence of the night was broken by a low, chilling growl that seemed to assault him from all sides. Marron drew to a stop with a fretful snort, a vaporous puff of breath dissipating into the air. His hooves clopped uneasily against the hard dirt. Beside them, Aegis snarled in warning, shoulders arched defensively.

Felix wished more than anything he had his musket.

A streak of gray shot out from the trees, a hulking wolf lunging forward with teeth bared. It snapped at Marron’s leg, and the horse spooked, rearing back with a terrified whinny. Felix’s grip on the reins slipped and he was thrown back, hitting the ground hard enough to knock the air from his lungs. With a yap, Aegis barreled toward the wolf, despite the fact he was easily a third of its size. His teeth sank into the wolf’s flank, earning a pained whine.

When a second wolf shot forward, Marron bolted into the woods. Felix scrambled to his feet, desperately searching for something he could use to defend himself; a heavy stick or a fallen sign post, _something._

There was nothing. Aegis fought bravely, even though he was horribly outmatched. Three snarling silver wolves circled around them, and after everything that had happened, it was in that moment that Felix was certain he was going to die.

Aegis snapped at the wolf once more, not noticing the second one coming up on his flank. He yelped in pain as it bit into his shoulder, violently shaking him for a moment before sending him hurling back. He whined low as he hit the dirt, small body falling limp.

The wolves set their eyes on Felix.

Felix reeled back slowly as they stalked forward. What a way to die, ripped apart by wolves mere minutes after escaping a horrific demon monster’s clutches, unable to even save his dog.

Just as he resigned himself to his fate, another shape bolted out from the trees, a massive dark figure moving impossibly fast. Felix could barely believe his eyes, even as he watched the beast – the one he’d been so sure would eventually tear out his throat over dinner at the slightest provocation – hefted up the nearest wolf by the scruff of his neck. It’s paws flailed desperately, whining in pain and confusion, and the beast, with inhuman strength, tossed it as easily as it was a doll. There was a sickening crunch as it hit the thick trunk of one of the gnarled trees, and it slumped the ground, motionless.

With feral growls, the other two wolves lunged at their new foe, their wicked teeth tearing into the beast’s clothes, clawing at his skin. The beast grunted, struggling for a moment to fend them off with his own claws. He grabbed one by the tail, managing to yank the animal off from where it had its teeth sunk into the beast’s thick forearm, dashing it cruelly against the ground. It whimpered in pain, slowly climbing up onto trembling legs and running off into the woods.

The other, taking advantage of the beast’s distraction, snapped at his flank. The beast cried out in agony, one of his legs giving out under him from the pain. With a shriek that would haunt the nightmares of even the most unflinching person, he wrenched it away, his claws cutting through its flesh like butter. Its gray coat was matted with blood, and it panted, seeming to assess the situation for a moment before deciding to run off like the other before it had.

The beast collapsed to the ground.

Felix stood there for a moment, still too paralyzed to move. “Are you hurt?” the beast groaned, voice strained. He was surprised to hear… genuine concern, even as he seemed to be bleeding out there on the dirt.

Felix shambled over slowly, sinking down next to him. His terrifying, gray-scaled face looked worryingly pale in the cold moonlight. And his eyes, the eyes that Felix had grown used to seeing as a warm, smoldering brown, were violently red. Just as they’d been the first time Felix had seem them.

He swallowed hard. “I’m fine.”

“Good.” Felix’s eyes trailed down his torso to his shredded shirt. The skin underneath, gray and scaly as his face and hands, was a tattered mess of bite marks. Dark blood ran from the wound, turning the ground beneath him muddy with it. His eyes slipped closed, his chest rising and falling shallowly.

A soft whimper pulled Felix’s attention away, and he saw Aegis pushing himself up slowly. Relief flooded through him as the dog limped over, nuzzling against him. Marron reappeared from the mist, anxious and afraid even though the danger had passed.

Felix stared between the road that would lead him home, and the beast in front of him. He could run. He could leave and never come back. The beast would die in the middle of the road, and no one would miss him.

With a sigh, Felix stood, grabbing Marron by the reins.

The beast was heavy, dead weight since he’d passed out, and slick with blood. Felix managed to heave him over the horse’s back. He cradled Aegis in his arms as they trekked back the way they’d come, cursing himself with every step he took toward the strange, haunted castle.

The empty suits of armor stood waiting outside the door as they arrived. Silently, drawn by some duty to their beastly master, they strode forward, metal boots clanging loudly on the flagstone. Surprisingly gently, they lifted the beast from Marron’s back with ease, carrying him between them into the castle. Felix followed them inside.

They brought the beast to what Felix guessed was his bedchamber, laying him without care on the clean, pressed sheets. Blood immediately started blossoming on the white satin like the bloom of a grotesque rose. Felix delicately laid Aegis down at the foot of the bed.

The suits of armor loomed behind him, as if they were uncertain what to do, what was needed of them. “I need medical supplies,” Felix told them bluntly, unsure why he was doing all of this. They didn’t move. Irritation welled in his chest. “If you don’t want him to die, find me some fucking bandages!” They shuffled out, and Felix was unsure if they were actually going to do as he asked or not.

He turned his attention to Aegis, gently stroking down his flank. Bite marks slowly oozed blood, but it didn’t seem like it was a particularly deep or worrisome wound. He pressed his ear lightly against his chest. His breaths were labored, a little wheezy, but his heartbeat was strong. “I’m so sorry.” The dog lifted his head to look at him with pitiful eyes. “You’re a good boy.”

The door opened a moment later, a cart rolling in of its own accord, laden with gauze, alcohol, clean cloths, a bowl of warm water, a thick needle and suture, and a spool of bandage. Unlike everything else he’d seen in the castle, they didn’t set out to their task by themselves, didn’t start tending the beast’s wounds with unseen hands.

Felix sighed, rolling up his sleeves and sitting on the bed next to the beast’s side.

He wasn’t a doctor like his father, but the man had ensured he’d taught his son’s the basics of tending to a wound should there be an accident while they were out hunting. So, while he wasn’t an expert, nor had he much experience, Felix had a general idea of what he had to do.

Pulling away the ruined cloth, Felix set to work cleaning the wound as carefully as he could. Soft white rags turned crimson, fresh water reddened with blood. Felix watched the beast’s face for signs of discomfort as he cleaned the wound with the alcohol, but there were none, still out cold. The bleeding had since slowed to an ooze, but didn’t seem to be stopping any time soon.

With shaking hands, Felix threaded the suture into the needle. He’d only ever practiced this on a pig cadaver under his father’s watchful eye. Of course, he was pretty well practiced at mending clothes, and really, how different could it be?

Taking his time, he carefully stitched the beast’s flesh back together. Despite the beast’s claim that his skin was too thick for a knife to pierce, he found no trouble with the needle. Had the beast been lying? Or maybe it was because he was weakened? Either way, Felix tried not to think about it.

Using the knot his father taught him, Felix tied off the suture and cut the thread. It was, perhaps, a little uneven, and would probably scar, but the beast was alive and he supposed that was what counted. He cleaned his bloody hands in the wash basin before wrapping the wound with the bandages.

Once the beast was tended to, Felix cleaned Aegis’s wounds as well. They weren’t as deep, and the bleeding had finally stopped, so Felix simply bandaged them, making a note to himself to keep an eye on their progress healing.

There was nothing left to be done, and Felix found himself at a loss. He didn’t want to simply leave, and he didn’t want to simply wait. He settled for curling up in an armchair by the fire with a book from the beast’s bookshelf. He struggled his way through it slowly. A lot of the words were completely unknown to him, so much so that they could have been in a foreign language for all he knew. He had to reread several of the passages multiple times before he was able to parse together some meaning.

The sun had risen by the time he heard the beast groan, starting to stir. Felix set the book aside, slowly moving to the beast’s side, taking up the place he’d sat the night before to tend the beast’s wounds. The blood staining the sheets that had been crimson before was dried and ruddy brown. In the light of the day streaming through the window, Felix could see, under the thick, armor-like scales on his torso, an old, twisted scar marring the flank opposite of his new wound. Impulsively, he reached out to run his fingers over it.

A hand shot out, long fingers wrapping around his wrist before he could react. The beast stared at him with guarded eyes, eyes that had returned to their warm brown color. “You stayed,” he mused. Felix nodded once. The beast bit out a cold laugh, freeing his captive’s wrist and attempting to push himself up, only to stop with a pained gasp, hand pressing against his bandaged side. “You treated my wounds.”

“You were dying.”

It stared at him a moment longer, a small smile curling up around its horrible tusks. “You saved my life.”

“I guess we’re even then,” Felix grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I guess we are.” With some effort, it managed to push itself up. “It was foolish of you to try and leave in the middle of the night like that. If I hadn’t come after you, you would have died.”

“What did you expect me to do?” Felix stared pointedly at the floor. “I want to go home.”

“You said you would stay if I freed your father,” the beast reminded him gently. “And I freed him.”

Resentment welled in Felix’s chest. What right did the beast have to sound so… so _sad_? “Why do you even want me here?” he demanded, rising to his feet. Aegis, who’d been sleeping peacefully, perked his head up. “All you’ve done is act like we’re… we’re _friends_ or something. Like I’m not your captive and you’re not just some monster.” He almost felt bad when he saw the hurt look on the beast’s face. “If you’re going to… kill me or eat me or… rape me…. Just _do it already_.”

The beast frowned. “I know I’m just _some monster_ , but I don’t want to hurt you, Felix. Though, I understand why you don’t believe me.”

“Then _why_?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

The beast sighed, shoulders sagging back against the headboard he leaned heavily against. “Is it so hard to believe that I missed having a friend?” Felix stopped dead, staring blankly at the beast. “I was a man once, remember? It’s been almost ten years since I’ve seen another human. Until your father happened across this place.”

“Why did you lock him in the dungeon?”

“I was… afraid.” He rubbed the back of his neck, staring pensively at the fireplace. “I was afraid that, if he was allowed to leave, he would bring back a mob to kill the terrifying monster. I’d planned to let him go, at first, but the longer I kept him, the more that possibility scared me. Then you showed up and offered to stay in his place. Before I sent him away, I warned him that I would kill you if he ever returned or told anyone where to find this place. I lied about that part, of course,” he added as an afterthought.

“I want to go home,” Felix repeated.

“Two months,” the beast plead. “Stay for just two months, then I swear to you, if you want to go, I will not stop you.”

Felix stared at him for a long time. The beast seemed sincere, eyes soft and unguarded as he met Felix’s gaze. “Fine. Two months,” he agreed. “Not a day more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're specifically sensitive to reading about dogs getting hurt, this chapter involves Felix and Aegis getting attacked by wolves.
> 
> Spoilers: 
> 
> Aegis gets hurt while trying to fend them off. If you don't want to read specifically where Aegis gets hurt, skip the paragraph that begins with "Aegis snapped at the wolf once more"
> 
> If reading about wolves getting hurt as well is something you think will bother you, skip from the section mentioned above until the sentence: "The beast collapsed to the ground."
> 
> All you need to know happened is: the beast gets injured while fighting off the wolves.


End file.
